Movable lintel for vertical doors



c NORTON HAL 2,286,003

MOVABLE 'LINTEL FOR VERTICAL DOORS June 9, 1942.

Original Filed July 17, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nut B k INVENTORS I BY ATTORNEY June 9, 1942.

C. NORTON ETAL MOVABLE LIN'IEL FOR VERTICAL DOORS s Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 17, 1941 aw N-@ INVENTORS ATTORNEY has June 9, 1942. 7 c. NORTON ETAL MOVABLE LINTEL FOR VERTICAL DOORS 7 Original Filed July 17,1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATT RNEY Patented June 9, 1942 MOVABLE LINTEL FOR VERTICAL DOORS Clifford Norton, Summit, and Benjamin Whitehead Tucker, In, South Orange, N. J assignors to Otis Elevator Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Original application July 1'7, 1941, Serial No.

402.796. Divided and this application February 19, 1942, Serial No. 431,546

5 Claims.

The invention relates to mechanism for vertical bi-parting pass type elevator hatchway'doors for closing the space between the top of the upper door section and the sofiit of the hatchway opening.

This application is a division of application Serial Number 402,796 of Clifford Norton and Benjamin Whitehead Tucker, Jr., filed July 17, 1941.

In freight elevator installations such as in factories and warehouses, many of the elevators are of large capacity and it is desirable in installations such as these that, wide openings be providerd at the floors to afford access to and from the cars. Vertically movable bi-parting doors are especially suitable for such installations inasmuch as with such doors, the door openings can be made as wide as the car. The door sections are guided on vertical guides and are connected together in counterbalancing relationship so that even though the doors are large and heavy, they are easy to operate. It is desirable that such doors be of sturdy construction that they may readily be repaired as they are subject to hard usage. Also fire protection is an important factor in buildings of such character and it is desirable that the doors provide an effective seal of the hatchway openings against smoke and flame. Flame angles areprovided to form a seal along the sides of the door sections while the joint between the abutting door sections when closed is sealed by an astragal secured to the bottom of the upper door section. The door sections overlap the top and bottom of the hatchway openings and in case the doors are of the pass type, the space between the top of the upper door section and the soffit of the hatchway opening is sealed by a lintel. which is movableto enable thelower section of the door above to move to open position overlapping this upper section. It is desirable that the door be constructed so as to effectively retain these seals under the influence of heat and, Water. In insuring such buildings, specialconsideration is given hatchway doors of a construction which have passed certain fire tests provided by the underwriters laboratories.

The object of the invention is to'provide a movable lintel, for closing the space between the top of the upper section of a vertical bi-parting pass type door, and the hatchway wallwhich is of simple but sturdy construction and reliable in operation and which provides an effective seal in case of fire.

In carrying out the invention according to the arrangement which will be described, a movable lintel is carried by the lower door section of the door above so as to move therewith, being guided on the same guide rails as this lower section. The lintel is in the form of an elongated channel member and takes up the space between the top of the upper section of the door and the soffit of the door opening. The lintel is hung on rods depending from the lower section of the door above which slide into this section should the lintel upon the opening of the door above strike the astragal, as in the cases of short floor heights. This construction provides an efiective seal against flame and smoke and is not disturbed by fire pressure within the hatchway.

A general idea of the invention, the mode of carrying it out which is at present preferred, and the various features and advantages thereof will be gained from the above statements. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation in rear elevation, with certain parts omitted, of a vertical bi-parting counterbalanced pass type hatchway door embodying the invention, illustrating the application of both power operating mechanism and locking mechanism to the door;

Figure 2 is a fragmental view similar to Figure 1, in which the door is hand operated;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in rear elevation of a portion of the vertical bi-parting counterbalanced pass type hatchway door of Figure 1, illustrating details of construction;

Figure 4. is a side View of the same;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in section taken along the line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view in section taken along the line 66 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is an enlarged View in section taken along the line of Figure 3; and

Figure 8 is a top view of one edge of the movable lintel taken from above the lintel.

Referring to Figure 1, the door I5 is illustrated as a vertical bi-parting door positioned for closing an elevator hatchway opening indicated by floor level is and sofiit IT. The upper section of the door is designated 20, while the lower section is designated 2|. The upper section is provided With a visionpanel IS. The top of the lower section is provided with a truckable sill 22. The bottom of the upper section is provided with rubber bumpers. 23 which rest on the top of the sill when the door is, closed. Each 21 connected to a bracket 28 secured to the side.

of the upper door section at the bottom. From the bracket the chain extends upwardly and over a sheave 36 and is connected through a rod 3| to the end of sill 22. The supportingbracket 32 for sheave 36 is secured to the guide rail 26. An elongated bar 33 is secured on the right hand side of the upper door section to angles 34 in turn secured to the door section. This bar serves as a lock bar, being engaged by the notched end of a latch lever 35 when the door is closed to lock the door sections against opening movement. This lever is secured to a pivot shaft 36 rotatably supported on bracket 32. Secured to shaft 36 is a lever 31 which carries an operating roller 38. This roller is adapted to be engaged by a retiring cam carried by the elevator car to move the latch lever into position to disengage the lock bar and unlock the door. This cam is retracted during operation of the car so as to clear the operating rollers for the door locks for the floors at which stops are not to be made.

The latch lever may also be operated manually through a bell crank lever 46 pivotally mounted on the inside of the upper door section near the bottom and central of the door. One arm of this lever serves as an operating handle and the other arm is connected by a rod 4| to a second bell crank lever 42 which is connected to a vertical rod 43. The lever 42 is weighted to counterbalance the weight of the rod. The rod 43 is bent inwardly near its upper end and then back to form a cam 44. The upper end of this rod extends through a guide aperture in a bracket 45 secured to the top of the door section. This cam when pulled downwardly engages a pin on latch lever 35 to unlock the door. This downward movement is effected by clockwise movement of operating lever 46, a stop 46 being provided to limit the movement of this lever. Continued pushing on operating lever 46 after it engages stop 46 moves the door to open position. The latch lever 35 is arranged to operate switching mechanism 48 when the door is unlocked, this being effected through a link connecting the switching mechanism to a lever 5| on shaft 36.

Contacts of switching mechanism 48 control the operation of motor 53 which provides the power for moving the door sections to open andclose positions. This motor is mounted on a bracket 54 secured to the guide rail 26 at one side of the door, this bracket being also secured to the hatchway wall in certain instances to provide extra support. This motor drives a sprocket 55 through gear reduction 52, the sprocket in turn driving a sprocket chain 56. One end of this chain is secured to the sill 22 from which it extends upwardly over sprocket 55, thence downwardly and kept taut. These chains serve as racks upon which the sprockets move during operation of the door and prevent tilting of the door about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the door. Shoes 59 are provided for maintaining the sprockets in mesh with the chains. Stops 66 are secured to guide rails 26 in position to engage the ends of sill 22 when the door is open to support the lower section with the sill in line with the floor level 16. The sprocket 51 acts through gearing 6'! tooperate further control switching mechanism 68 for the motor, this switching mechanism being mounted on bracket 64.

In operation, as the car stops at the floor, the retiring cam is extended and engages roller 38 swinging lever 35 into position to disengage the lock bar 33, unlocking the door. Also, certain contacts of switching mechanism 48 are engaged causing the energization of motor 53 for rotative movement of sprocket counterclockwise. This sprocket acts through chain 56 to pull down on the lower door section. At the same time theupper door is pulled upwardly through its connection to the lower door section by, chain 21. Thus the two sections counterbalance each other minimizing the load on the motor. The door is brought to a stop upon the engagement of the truckable sill with stops 66. During the door opening operation motor 53 is controlled by switching mechanism 68 to be slowed down as the door nears open position. To close the door, the motor is energized for reverse rotative movement and acts through chain 56 to pull up on the lower door section. At the same time the upper section, being released by upward movement of the lower section, closes by its own weight. The sections are brought to a stop upon the engagement of the bumpers 23 with the truckable sill. During the closing movement, motor 53 is controlled by switching mechanism 68 to be slowed down as the door nears closed position. The operating mechanism above described is the subject matter of the copending application of Norton, Karmel and Tucker, Serial Number 368,424, filed December 4, 1940.

Referring to Figure 2.the construction is the same as Figure 1 except that no power operation is provided and the control of th lock is modified. A bar 10 is slidably supported in a bracket 1| secured to the upper door section and is connected to bell crank lever 40. The end of a lever 12 extends in the path of movement of the left hand end of this rod. This lever is mounted on a shaft 13 rotatably supported by a bracket 14 secured to the guide rail 26. Also secured to this shaft is a lever 15, the upper end of which carries an operating roller 16. Thisroller is adapted to be engaged by a stationarycam carried bythe elevator car to move lever 12 into position out of the path of movement of bar 10 when the car is stopped at the floor. This enables, clockwise movement of operating lever 40 to unlock and open the door by hand. However, when the car is away from the floor, the cam is disengaged from the roller so that lever I2 is in the path of movement of rod 10 preventing the unlocking of the door.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, the upper section 26 and the lower section 2| of the door each comprises a frame made up from an angle 84 bent at right angles at the corners, the ends being joined together as by welding. The space inside the frame is filled in with panels 82 and 83 abutting vertical stiffener bars 3|.

Flame angles 92 are-secured as by-welding to ythe sides ofthe frame. "-Thetruckabl'e sill 22 issecured as by plug -welding to the top angle of the frame of the lower door section. This sill is in the form of an angle member-,-the vertical leg of which extends downwardly 'parallel to the plane of the door.

' This sill is wider than'the door section extending substantially'the width of the hatchway.

The purpose of this arrangement will be seen from further description. A toe guard 95 is secured to the vertical leg ofthe truckable sill by screws'96 arranged-at spaced intervals. This i toe guard "extends well into the troughs formed by the panels beingprovided with slots 91 to clear the joints between the panels and the vertical bars 8I. 'Another toe guard I90 is provided at. the bottom of the lower section; This toe guard, as shown-in' Figure "7, is secured by screws The apertures An astragal" I'Ifl' extends across the bottom of theupper door section and is secured to the -adjusting= and- 'lock nuts I 8! which support the rods to position thechannel members" in line with the top of-thedoor-opening. plate I88 may besecuredto the channel-ateach-end thereof to form a flame-- seal,neachplate being provided with a slot to span'the guide'rail. :On top of the plate issecureda'guideshbia I90, the plate and guide shoebeingsecured to the channel by bolts I9I. "Theg-uide shoes I90 slide on the same guiderail's 2-5 asthe lower door sections,each shoe beingproV-ided witha slo't I92 into which i the guide leg of the guide railextends.

' -With this construction the movable lintel is raised and lowered with the doorsectionto which it is secured and-when the door'is closed forms a dependable and efiective seal for the open- 1 ing I80. The construction is very sturdy and is not disturbed byfire pressure within thehatchway. In certain installations due to the relationship of floor lieightsand door sizes'it may be that in opening the door the lintel will strike on the astragal of -the door'below before full opening is-reached.-= In such cases the rods I82 are pushed upwardly into the lower door section until' this section" reaches full open position. When the door is closed the door frame moves up into position engaging the nuts" I81 thereby frame bybolts III at spaced intervals. As in a 'the case of bolts I04, the bolts I I I extend through elongated .slots H2 in the frame to allow for relativeiexpansion between the astragal and the frame in case of fire. The astragal is in the form of an angle-"member the Vertical leg of which extends downwardly to cover the space II3 between the door sections when the door is closed. thereby providing a seal against smoke and flame. A plurality'of steel bars II5' are provided on top of the upper door sectiom-being-secured picking up the rods and thus the lintel to move it back into sealing position as the door is closed.

As many changes could bemade in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of thisinvention could be made without departing from the scope thereof and as the invention is applicable to doors of other constructions, itis intended that all matter con tained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as to the frame by bolts H5 at spaced intervals.

Elongated slots through which the bolts extend to allow for relative expansionbetween thebars and the frame.

These bars serve as stiffener-bars and act to minimize bulging of the door section at the soflit in case of fire. They also add weight to the door section for counterbalancing the upper door section with the lower. Inasmuch as it is undesirable to have too many of these bars, the astragal is formed of heavy stock to assist in providing the counterbalance.

In the case of pass type doors a space !80 exists between the top of the upper door section and the hatchway wall at the soffit H. To seal this space against flame and smoke a movable lintel is provided. This lintel is in the form of a channel member IBI extending in space I80 across the door opening. This lintel is supported by a plurality of rods !82 extending at spaced intervals downwardly from the lower section of the door above. These rods extend through apertures I83 provided in the channel member and the lower ends are threaded to receive nuts I84 upon which the channel member is supported. These rods extend upwardly through apertures I89 in toe guard I00. The upper ends of these rods extend through apertures I65 and 186 in the stiffener bar I03 and the door frame respectively of the lower section of the door above. The apertures I86 are elongated to permit relative expansion between the bar and the frame. The upper ends of the rods are threaded to receive II! are provided in the bars illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

i What is' claimed is:

1. In anelevatorsystem in which a vertical bi-parting counterbalanced hatchway door is provided at each of a pair of adjacent floors and in which the lowers-ection of the door for the higher floor in opening overlaps the upper section of the" door for the lower floor, an elongated member-closing the space between the upper I part of said upper section and the hatchway wall at the soflit of the opening for the door for the lower floor when the doors are closed, and means for supporting said member from the bottom of said lower section, said supporting means being yieldable to permit full opening of said lower section in the event said member is brought to a stop by said door for the lower floor before said lower section reaches full open position.

2. In an elevator system in which a vertical bi-parting counterbalanced hatchway door is provided at each of a pair of adjacent floors and in which the lower section of the door for the higher floor and the upper section of the door for the lower floor have guide rails arranged so that said lower section in opening may overlap said upper section, a movable lintel for closing the space between the upper part of said upper section and the hatchway wall at the soflit of the opening for the door for the lower floor when the doors are closed, said movable lintel comprising an elongated channel member, and means for supporting said channel member from the bottom of said lower section, said supporting means yielding to permit full opening of said lower section in the event said channel member is brought to a stop by said door for the lower floor before said lower section reaches full open position.

3. In an elevator system in which'a vertical lei-parting counterbalanced hatchway door is provided at each of a pair of adjacent floors and in which the lower section of the door for the higher floor and the upper section of the door for the lower floor have separate guide rails spaced so that said lower section in opening may overlap said upper section, a movable lintel for closing the space between the upper part of said upper section and the hatchway wall at the soffit of the opening for the door for the lower floor when the doors are closed, said movable lintel comprising an elongated channel member, and a plurality of vertical rods arranged at spaced intervals supporting said channel member, said rods being supported from the bottom of said lower section and extending upwardly into said lower section through apertures provided in the bottom thereof, said rods sliding up into said lower section to permit full opening thereof in the event said channel member is brought to a stop by said door for the lower floor before said lower section reaches full open position.

4. In an elevator system in which a vertical oi-parting counterbalanced hatchway door is provided at each of a pair of adjacent floors and in which the lower section of the door for the higher floor and the upper section of the door for the lower floor have separate guide rails spaced so that said lower section in opening may overlap said upper section, a movable lintel for closing the space between the upper part of said upper section and the hatchway wall at the soifit of the opening for the door for the lower floor when the doors are closed, said movable lintel comprising an elongated channel member, a plurality of vertical rods arranged at spaced intervals supporting said channel member, said rods being supported from the bottom of said lower section and extending upwardly into said lower section through apertures provided in the bottom thereof, said rods sliding up into said lower section to permit full opening thereof in the event said channel member is brought to a stop by said door for the lower floor before said lower section reaches full open position, the bottom of said lower section in the closing of said lower section cooperating with said rods to pick up said channel member to restore it to said space closing position, and guide shoes secured to the ends of said channel member for cooperating with said guide rails for said lower section to guide said channel member in its movement during opening and closing of said lower section.

5. In an elevator system in which a vertical bi-parting counterbalanced hatchway door is provided at each of a pair of adjacent floors and in which the lower section of the door for the higher floor and the upper section of the door for the lower floor have separate guide rails spaced so that said lower section in opening may overlap said upper section, said upper section having an astragal secured to the bottom thereof, a movable lintel for closing the space between the upper part of said upper section and the hatchway wall at the soffit of the opening for the door for the lower floor when the doors are closed, said movable lintel comprising an elongated channel member, a plurality of vertical rods arranged at spaced intervals supporting said channel member, said rods being supported from the bottom of said lower section and extending upwardly into said lower section through apertures provided in the bottom of said lower section, the upper ends of the rods being threaded, nuts on the threaded ends of said rods for adjusting the effective length of the rods and for cooperating with said bottom of said lower section for supporting the rods, said rods sliding up into said lower section to permit full opening thereof in the event said channel member is brought to a stop by engaging said astragal before said lower section reaches full open position, the bottom of said lower section in the closing of said lower section engaging said nuts to pick up said channel member to restore it to said space closing position, and guide shoes secured to the ends of said channel member for coopcrating with said guide rails for said lower section to guide said channel member in its movement during opening and closing of said lower section.

CLIFFORD NORTON. BENJAMIN WHITEHEAD TUCKER, J R. 

